This invention relates to means for protecting a person from smoke inhalation damage during a fire and, more particularly, to means associated with a pillow for this purpose.
It has been variously estimated that from 78% to 93% of those who die in fires, whether they be in hotel towers, such as the fire in the MGM Grand Hotel, or in ordinary residences, are victims of heavy particle, or smoke, inhalation. Those caught in fire situations are often incapacitated by dense smoke. Once they are so incapacitated, they no longer are capable of making effective decisions or of taking effective action leading to rescue or escape.
It is, of course, possible to provide every hotel or house bedroom with gas masks; but this would be impractical and costly. Indeed, it is not likely that hotel managements would willingly equip rooms with gas masks, fearing that these would alarm guests unduly and be too easily stolen. Other prior art expedients, such as the transparent hood devices shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,629, U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,407, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,154,235, are impractical for the same reasons.